Let's learn some Swahili in preparation for our trip
 

We can practice some guide book phrases or look up terms and write their translations. Something interactive like this might provide extra motivation. If there are any experts out there, your critque is welcomed.

The button on my translation site says Search/Tafuta so I guess that means Tafuta means Search.

http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/

If I search (OMG the conjugations are beyond me), then the word is "natafuta"

So my first entry is:

<b>Natafuta kwa duma</b>

Duma is cheetah. I search for cheetah.

simba = lion (Thank you Lion King)

fisi = hyena (More Lion King)

twiga = giraffe (I think of Twiggy, tall, thin model)

elephant = tembo (The camp Kichwa Tembo is Elephant Head, so that's another word)

pinki = pink
gari pinki = pink car

But Google says pink is rangi so Rosetta Stone was wrong?

(okay, I knew those already and unfortunately I have yet to see a pink car to point at and say, "gari pinki, gari rangi!" but what about those pikipiki?)

Jina lako nani? Lynn?

OK here is my list. I actually used lots of these but it helped to have them handy in a little notebook. The game drivers got a kick out of my efforts!

I think we all owe Lion King a lot!!! :)

But to remember the sweetness of my guide as he took my arm safely in his..and said..."go pole pole mama!!! Pole Pole!! Sawa Sawa!!!" makes me wanna go back!!!!

Good luck!


SWAHILI:
YES NDIO

NO HAPANA

PLEASE TAFADHALI

THANK YOU ASANTE (SANA)

YOU’RE WELCOME KARIBU

HELLO JAMBO OR HUJAMBO

GOOD BYE KSAHERI

HOW ARE YOU? HABARI?

FINE MZURI

HOT MOJO

COLD BARIDA

BAD MBAYA

SO SO HIVI HIVI

EXCUSE ME!! SAMAHAN!!

DOCTOR DAKTARI

MEDICINE DAWA

WHAT IS YOUR NAME? JINA LAKO NANI?

MY NAME IS JINA LANGU NI

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? UNATOKA WAPI?

I COME FROM... MIMI NINATOKA

DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? UNA SEMA KILNGEREZA?

I DON’T SPEAK SWAHILI SISEMI KISWAHILI

I DONT UNDERSTAND SIFAHAMU

HOW DO YOU SAY THIS IN
ENGLISH? UNASEMAJE KWA KILNGEREZA?

HOW MANY? NGAPI?

HOW MUCH IS IT? NGAPI SHIGILE

MAY I TAKE YOUR PICTURE? MIKUPIGE PICHA?

WHERE IS THE BATHROOM? CHOO KIKO WAPI?

I NEED..... MIMI NATAFUTA...

I WANT TO BUY....MIMI NATAKA KUNUNUA

FRIEND RAFIKI

ONE MOJA

2 MBILI

3 TATU

4 NNE

5 TANO

6 SITA

7 SABA

8 NANA

9 TISA

10 KUMI

THANK YOU ASANTE SANA
OK SAWA SAWA

[ SLOW SLOW POLE POLE
FAST FAST PAYSI PAYSI
HAKUNA MATATA no problem


ANIMALS
WARTHOG NGIRI

GIRAFE TWIGA

LION SIMBA

BABOON NUGU

RHINO KIFARU

HIPPO KIBOKO

CHEETAH DUMA

CROCODILE MAMBA

ELEPHANT TEMBO

HYENA FISI

LEOPARD CHOOEY

ZEBRA BUNDA MILIA

Leanna already got most of the ones I know, but how about

Hatari - danger (or John Wayne....)

Wow, I am impressed; you all have been studying..but my question is - don't the masai tribes speak Mai? (I think that is the spelling) I seem to recall when Canadian_robin went on her self-drive, she mentioned several mai words she learned to meet her guides at Serian.

So..anyone know?

I just got my confirmations for Sept. 2010- yay (in my speak)

FP

you can also get free software at http://www.byki.com/ -- it is sort of like automated flashcards, and works pretty well, since it remembers which words you got wrong, and which ones you got right, and repeats the hard ones more often.

I like using the easy learning CDs, such as 'in flight' , which I can listen to on my i-Pod. There was another thread on this topic, that you might enjoy:

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ou-succeed.cfm

FP,
The Maasai language is Maa. I know one word, ashe (thank you).

Anyone know if Swahili and Setswana are anywhere close linguistically? I have always wanted to know the Swahili equivalent for puduhudu, my favorite Setswana word (it's a type of antelope).

What type of antelope?

I have most of the animals memorized along with "please" "thank-you" "yes" "no" "how much" and "where's the toilet"... much as in most foreign landguages.

Otherwise, I barely get thru English, but can manage a French menu :) Guess that doesn't count for this exercise.

However, most locals one meets on safari speak English and certainly better that I do in Swahili!

Some interesting discussion has been generated.

Leely, I will not work on comitting the Swahili phrase for pink car to memory as I don't expect to see one there and even where I live it is rare. Aren't the reward cars from Mary Kay pink Cadilacs? Don't know how big Mark Kay might be in Kenya.

But I was prompted to search out vehicle, thinking it might be used more than car. <b>kipando</b>

If pink cars are rare, even rarer are pink motorcycles! I don't think Harleys even come in pink.

<b>Jina langu ni Lynn.</b>

LEANNA,

You have quite an impressive list.

<b>Pole pole</b>--that's a good one. I people are reminded of that as they ascend Kilimanjaro. Go slow.

I heard some of the staff say "pole pole" as 3 other ladies and I collected our gear and disembarked the <b>kipando</b> and they were right. We were <b>pole pole.</b>

Scruffypuma, Your John Wayne movie reference puts <b>hatari</b> in perspective. I hope I have no occasion to use <b>hatari</b>.

FlowerPower,

You are right about the Maasai and their language, but the Maasai you encounter will probably know Swahili too, plus English.

Yay = <b>sherekea</b> for celebration

Puduhudu? That rolls off the tongue. If there is a Swahili equivalent, then this mystery antelope must not be a nyla, roan, puku, lechwe, or sable.

As Sandi indicates, it's good to know the basic niceties and some animal names. You can always give the guide a laugh when it gets slow by uttering something in Swahili.

Bon Appétit , after ordering from the French menu.
In Swahili that's

<b>Ufurahie chakula chako</b> -- for one other person

<b>Msifurahie chakula chenu</b> -- for a group

By the time I a got either of those phrases out, the food would be cold, actually the <b>chakula</b> would be <b>baridi.</b>

Maybe I should be grateful that in Kenya lodges, the solo traveler usually dines alone, if the guide does not join them.

I responded in short increments because I can only absorb so many words at one time.

<b>pole pole kichwa</b>

I don't know what kind of antelope it is. I just know it's a puduhudu (and it DOES roll off the tongue, which is why I love it). It's a very small antelope. Maybe like a dik dik? (Please, people, spare us your off-color jokes here.)

One source says it's also spelled phuduhudu and is also known as a "stembuck." Never heard of that. Phuduhudu is also a village in the Kalahari. Talk about esoterica...

Lynn- I hope I don't ever have to use Hatari either, but I did like the movie. Don't know about pink Harley's, but my HD Road King is "concord purple pearl", so there might be a pink one out there!
I like puduhudu!

I like puduhudu too!!! Fun word!! As for the swahili...I found it thrilling to listen the our guides and drivers chatter back and forth...its just such a cool sounding language. Have no idea what they said.....but it sounded neat! :):)

As for all those antelopes....I only learned the Dik Dik as I found it cute....the others I refer to as "the corp de ballet"....they are all so pretty and graceful!

I actually also learned some swahili from using Ella Jenkins in my music classes...she has some great songs using the language.

Thats life... a little from here.... a little from there.

Now isn't SOPA a masai word....and I forget what it means???

You have a Harley, Scruffy? How cool! I live near where the home of Harleys, but am not a motorcycle enthusiast. However purple is my favorite color.

Steinbok, maybe LALeslie.

I believe Sopa is Welcome or similar greeting.

I just read that <b>yam</b> is Swahili. The kind we have for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ann, I downloaded the langauge flashcards. <b>Asante sana.</b>